Located in the heart of Amsterdam is a site and story that has captured the world: the Anne Frank House. This famous yet unassuming building is distinguishable only by the queue that snakes outside. From far and wide, people journey to see where the young Anne Frank hid from the Nazis for two years during the Holocaust. A moving experience to say the least.

In a city reputed for its liberal nightlife antics, you'll want to check out (if only briefly) the world-famous Red Light District. Swathed by mostly drunken tourists at night, though fairly unassuming by day, this area lies just to the east of the city centre. Its name describes the red neon lights that highlight some 300 windows of rooms where prostitutes work.

The Heineken Experience is one of history and beer, and is sure to please fans of the Dutch pilsner – or any pilsner, for that matter. The interactive tour is of the original brewery that produced its first ale in 1867. Soak in the rich history of the Heineken product and brand, and discover what brings your favourite beer to life before enjoying one yourself.

Amsterdam's iconic 17th century canal belt became part of the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2010. While certainly a source of beauty today, the canals were originally built as a source of wealth and greatly contributed to the city's affluence and growth. Their ingenuity and architectural influence earned the canals their spot on the acclaimed list, and many canal cruises will afford you a first-hand experience of the watery wonder.

Every sizeable European city has its share of breathtaking historical monuments, and Amsterdam is no different with the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. Built as the city hall for magistrates in the 17th century, Amsterdam's most famous historical building won't disappoint. Lose yourself in the palace's elaborately decorated interior, alive with beautiful paintings and sculptures that tell stories of the city's past.

The grand Oude Kerk (Old Church) sits at the heart of the Red Light District. Widely considered to be Amsterdam's oldest building and parish church, it's believed to date back to around 1213. The Oude Kerk is much more than a beautiful historical landmark, though. Inside you'll find one of the city's youngest art institutions, and the church regularly hosts a variety of religious and cultural activities.

Lose yourself – and hours – in Amsterdam's largest collection of art and artefacts at the Rijksmuseum. This incredible museum is four floors full of more than 8,000 treasures dating back to the Middle Ages: paintings and drawings, photography, decorative arts and furniture, jewellery and fashion. Perhaps its most famous piece is Dutch painter Rembrandt's The Night Watch, completed in 1642.

A print of Van Gogh's Sunflowers has been brightening your bedroom for years, and now it's time to marvel at the original in the Van Gogh Museum. This permanent exhibition holds more than 200 paintings and 500 drawings by the influential Dutch artist and his contemporaries – the largest collection of his works in the world.

Step into Rembrandt's world at the Rembrandt House Museum, located in the heart of Amsterdam. Here, between 1639 and 1656, the world-renowned Dutch artist lived and worked, and today, carefully refurbished, it recreates an atmosphere Rembrandt would have breathed. See the almost complete collection of Rembrandt's etchings as well as work by his contemporaries.